Visit to the Musical Instrument Museum

I was thrilled that my student Kim Keates went to visit the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels for their Adolphe Sax 200 exhibition and saxophone display.

I was even more thrilled when she offered to write about her experiences, and include some photographs – thank you Kim!

The shrill alarm cut through the darkness at 5 am and, as I awoke, I felt a rush of excitement when I realised that today I was travelling to Brussels.

The journey to St. Pancras was uneventful; quick check to make sure that I had my passport, then into the waiting lounge of Eurostar.

The state of the art design of the train and the European style uniforms of the attendants set the scene for my journey.

I had thought about making this journey for several months and, here I was, standing across the road from the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM).

The excitement built as I entered the beautiful art nouveau style/neoclassical building. A whole floor had been dedicated to the instrument maker, Adolphe Sax, to celebrate the 200th year of his birth. What a treat it was to look closely at some unusual musical instruments, and to marvel at their design; to stand next to a tenor saxophone owned and played by Dexter Gordon, and another, by Coleman Hawkins!

In a way, the trip was my way of connecting further with the instrument that I have grown so fond of; to find out about the man, who, in 1857, invented the saxophone, and in turn, started me on my musical journey.

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Google Reviews

Dan is the consummate tutor and to learn from such a talented saxophonist is both an honour and a pleasure. Don’t get me wrong Dan demands that you put the effort in to learning the saxophone and always challenges you. For a man in his sixties to be able to achieve the progress in a few lesson shows what Dan can coax out of you. Thanks Dan.

Dan is a great tutor, he’s ability to change the pace of the lesson to match my learning speed ( that day) and practice is the week is brilliant, not to mention how easily he explains the physics behind playing the sax! It’s always a fun lesson :)

Dan reinvigorated a middle-aged wannabe latecomer to the saxophone, and made him fee like he unleashed his inner Coltrane. (Even though the harsh truth is more like plodding Grade 3... ). Massively enthusiastic, and one of life's natural teachers. Can't recommend Dan highly enough.

I have been having Skype saxophone lessons with Dan for 10 months now. He has been able to facilitate my learning in a way that has engendered my confidence in my own ability.
He believes in his students and sincerely wants to enable them to be the best that they can be.
If you want to make progress in all aspects of musicianship, then Dan is the teacher to choose. He will guide you and help you to achieve your musical goals.

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